Section 1 - Instruction

Last time we explored psychological safety – that crucial foundation for high-performing teams. Now let's learn the most powerful tool for actually creating it with your sales team: your own vulnerability.

Here's the paradox: when sales leaders show vulnerability, teams become stronger, not weaker – and they share more about what truly motivates them.

Engagement Message

How does admitting you don't know what motivates a rep make you feel?

Section 2 - Instruction

Vulnerability means being open about your own mistakes, uncertainties, and learning edges about your team's personalities and motivations. It's not about oversharing personal details - it's about modeling intellectual humility.

When you say "I don't understand what drives you yet" or "I misread your motivation style," you signal that learning about people is ongoing.

Engagement Message

When did a sales leader's honesty about not knowing something make you respect them more?

Section 3 - Instruction

Here's why this works: your sales reps are always watching your reactions to determine what's truly safe to share. If you never admit confusion about their motivations, they assume you already have them figured out.

If you always project certainty about what drives them, they assume there's no point in correcting you. Your vulnerability gives them permission to be authentic about their real motivations.

Engagement Message

What message might your current coaching style be sending about knowing your reps?

Section 4 - Instruction

Practical vulnerability looks like: "I'm not sure what's driving your recent performance dip - help me understand" or "I realize I was wrong about what motivates you in our territory planning."

Notice these aren't dramatic confessions - they're simple acknowledgments that you're still learning about each person's unique drivers.

Engagement Message

Which phrase feels more natural to you?

Section 5 - Instruction

The key is intellectual humility - being curious rather than assuming when coaching sales reps. Instead of "You need to focus more on prospecting because..." try "Help me understand what makes prospecting energizing for you."

Sign up
Join the 1M+ learners on CodeSignal
Be a part of our community of 1M+ users who develop and demonstrate their skills on CodeSignal